Special to WorldTribune.com
Iran signaled its anger over the recent leaking of an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) document that revealed evidence Teheran had attempted to sanitize its Parchin military nuclear facility.
The IAEA should “exercise utmost vigilance to ensure full protection of all confidential information coming to its knowledge,” Iranian Ambassador to the IAEA Reza Najafi said on Aug. 25. “We won’t accept any kind of leakage of classified information by anyone.”
A document outlining a secret side deal between Iran and the IAEA was obtained by The Associated Press. It revealed that soil samples, photos and video evidence from the Parchin site will be collected and relayed by Iranian experts using Iranian equipment.
U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham has threatened to cut off some funding unless the IAEA provides the U.S. with direct access to its agreements with Iran.
“As an indication of how serious I view the provision of copies of these side agreements to our national security, I intend to condition and/or withhold voluntary contributions to the IAEA in fiscal year 2016 should they not be provided prior to the congressional debate next month,” Graham wrote in a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry dated Aug. 11.
The Obama administration denies there are any “side deals.”
The Iran nuclear framework is expected to be implemented despite significant opposition in the United States. Polls suggest the American public stands opposed to the deal by a 2-1 margin.
IAEA Director-General Yukiya Amano said the nuclear watchdog has long sought answers to a list of questions concerning Iran’s past nuclear work that may have had a military dimension.
“At this stage it is premature to say if there is any new information or not,” Amano told reporters. “[It] could be even misleading to provide a partial assessment.”
Iran has continually refused to answer the IAEA’s inquiries and denies ever working on the weaponization of nuclear technology.
The agreement reached with world powers, however, says Teheran and the IAEA have agreed on a road map to resolve the outstanding questions. The deal also stipulates that Iran will get relief from sanctions only when the IAEA is satisfied with Iran’s participation in that investigation.
Iran angered by IAEA leak on secret side deals after Parchin report added by World Tribune on
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